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Important People
Important People of Karimas The High King's Court The High King Saeru lin Karimas. * Saeru was far from ready for the throne when he was saddled with it, but he's made a solid showing of himself, seizing the reins of control that had grown slack under his father's weak authority. Shoring up the strength of the High King's law, Saeru has worked hard to break the trade dependency under which his country has labored for so long. Charismatic, dedicated, and forever keeping the people at the front of his mind, Saeru is very conscious of his public appearance, and works hard to be the kind of king people want to follow. His marriage to Ailenne Stormborn has ruffled no few feathers and introduced some complications into his personal life, but Saeru has approached this as he does every other matter – with a set stance and a bring-it-on grin. The High Queen Ailenne Stormborn. * After taking her country, the Stormlands, from her treacherous father, Ailenne formalized relations between the Stormlands and Karimas, with the eventual goal of bringing the Stormlands under the Kariman Charter. A petite woman with a deep well of inner strength, she is one of the foremost warriors of the realm. Her regard for Saeru has grown with the years, and so has her regard for her husband's country. Being the ruler of her own country was a bit of a shock to her, but Saeru and his court have helped her set up her own circle of advisors, and the ties between the two nations grow with each passing day. Ailenne is furiously opposed to the tradition that forbids mages from taking the High Throne, as her own son Rhynn is a metamage. Prince Rhynn lin Karimas. * At nine years old, Rhynn is beginning the training required of all the sons of the High King, and in another year, will begin his training with the Brotherhood of the Warrior's Way. He has completed his four years of fosterage, one with each of the Regents, and has a reputation as a bright, rather serious boy. Lacking Saeru's ambition or focus, Rhynn instead has a gift for perception that his father lacks, and he has surprised many with his insight. A metamage, Rhynn's gifts grow apace, carefully monitored by Kethyr Vaurus, the High King's Executor and foremost scholar on the workings of magic. The Executor Kethyr Vaurus. * Ennobled by Saeru upon the High King's coronation, and gifted with a small manor home by the Shadowloves shortly before the tragedy that befell them, Kethyr would trade it all for a riverboat and a daily fare. A Riverman of Landsdown, Kethyr is the only Deathmage to have ever survived past his twentieth year, a testament to his incredible willpower and iron control. A Devotee of Sky as well as a Brother of the Warrior's Way, Kethyr wears many hats: scholar, ferryman, assassin, warrior, and teacher. His duties as Executor include investigating high crimes, speaking for the High King when Saeru is unavailable, exacting King's Justice, and reviewing disputes that make it to the High King's court before the High King himself views them. On top of that, Kethyr is often sent on missions of various kinds by Saeru, under his authority. Kethyr is ghoulish in appearance, with striated brown skin clinging tightly to his bones, a skull-like face and eyes of pitch save for glowing green irises, and his voice is a dry rattle in his throat; he does not scruple to use this to intimidate when he must. The First Counsel Mordechaile. * Bearing no other name, Mordechaile, like Kethyr, is a very rare breed of mage, whose power revolves around fear. Looking very much like a shadow with sulfurous yellow eyes, Mordechaile prefers to listen and observe, and rarely speaks unless approached. Very few understand his role within the Court, but he is both Saeru's personal advisor and the young king's counselor; the fear-mage can understand the king's fears like no other, and allay them in ways others simply could not. The reputation Mordechaile has as a puppetmaster is not entirely undeserved; however, no one is as dedicated to the peace of Karimas as he is, and he is a better friend to Saeru than many might imagine. The Master of Trade Thugo the Fox. * Those who know Thugo well have a better name for him: the Merchant of Whispers. Thugo is an enormously fat man with an incredibly beautiful baritone voice who will buy and sell anything, but primarily deals in information. Quite possibly the richest man in Karimas, Thugo is originally from the Singing Sands, and knows Ravensguild perhaps better than anyone alive. He has friends everywhere and favors in the strangest places; it is said outside of Karimas that even kings fear to offend him, for fear of losing their trade partners. While that is a bit of an exagerration, no one is truly certain of the scope of Thugo's influence, and not many are willing to push hard enough to find out. The Four Regencies Drakes Regency Regent Syan Snowlander, under the title Warden. * A tall albino with a rather grim disposition, Syan is the current master of the Order of the Eclipse, elevated to that position by acclaim both for his ability to encourage discipline and for the respect he tends to engender; even those who don't like him (and they are many) will espouse his fair-mindedness and even temper. While he may not have much in the way of a sense of humor (a much-valued trait in Drakes), he is also extraordinarily slow to anger. Syan is rumored to be approaching his sixtieth year, but this may be exagerration; he came to the post young and has been Master for a little over twenty years. Duke Whelan Lasarae, Duke of the Marshlands. * Duke Whelan is a portly gentleman in his late fifties, a wise if cautious man who demonstrates an uncanny ability for investing and accounting. Master of Coin for the Regency, Duke Whelan is affable and polite, though something of a coward outside of the political arena. Whelan is most of the reason why Drakes is as rich as it is, and has been responsible since his rise for improvements and growth in the cultivation of fruits other than grapes for the purposes of distillation and food products. In the past ten years, since the breaking of the trade dependency on Ravensguild, Drakes' increased fruit output has been invaluable to the people all over Karimas, and Whelan's influence has grown because of it. Countess Alyssa Greens, Countess of the Lower Reaches. * Alyssa serves under Whelan, and because of her friendship with Amhran, often serves as a go-between for the two, as they dislike each other. Alyssa is a bright, charming young lady, new to her post; her father died in his sleep some few years ago, and she still wears a black choker in remembrance. At the age of twenty, Alyssa is still unmarried, which is some cause for concern, although she does not lack for suitors. Her territory encompasses from Crossings Lake north to the Deep Downs and eastward to Stone's Ford. Count Geran Highlands, Count of the Sward. * The Sward refers to the southeastern reaches of Drakes, primarily sweeping grasslands and low foothills near the Spine. Many ranches and plantations exist here, where tobacco and livestock are raised. Also located in the Sward is the Chainer's Prisons, where mages are kept imprisoned when necessary; within those prisons, no magic will function at all. Geran, as a devotee of Sun, is a rather martial sort, a bluff figure of imposing stature, although he is notably shy around women, a fact the women of Drakes do not hesitate to tease him about. Rumor has it that he has made a quiet bid for Alyssa's hand…and that she favors him over Marius. Duchess Amhran Molivere, Duchess of the Tiers. * The Tiers refers to the steppes of eastern Drakes, leading into the mountains of the Spine. These have been leveled and cultivated, and look like nothing so much as a set of stairs descending into the lowlands, and it's here that many of the vineyards flourish, as well as other crops such as blackberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and other vine- or shrub-grown fruits and berries. Amhran is a forceful and direct woman, but she applies her ambition towards stability within the realm; she supported Saeru's decision to install Syan, although she dislikes the man personally. While she and Whelan have a cordial distaste for each other, she has no direct ambition to topple him; she recognizes his talents as Master of Coin, whereas her own knowledge in the areas of cultivation and land management have few peers. Amhran proudly wears a copper band as a circlet. Count Roland Morrows, Count of the Higher Steppes. * Roland Morrows is an extraordinarily busy man. His territories include the northeastern corner of Drakes, the upper section of the Tiers under Duchess Amhran, and she keeps him hopping with reports on the various vineyards therein. A tall, rail-thin figure, he does as much as he can, and delegates many of the tasks to the wine barons who have more direct control of the vineyards. Roland's primary duties are to organze the reports that flow onto his desk from the wine barons, collate and compile them, and send the final report on to the Duchess. The Duchess does not often wait for this to happen,a nd thus Roland is often put out by his mistress's more…hands-on approach. Count Marius Rowe, Count of the Lower Steppes. * Marius is no less busy than Roland, but he is much better at wrangling the Duchess and delegating tasks to his various barons. He's been gunning for Roland's position for some time, and the Duchess may grant the merging of the two stations; Marius possesses a strong talent for management that Roland lacks, although his naked ambition and greed have been what has held him back thus far. A dapper man of middling years, Marius is on his way up, and it may only be a matter of time before he decides to be more…proactive. Marius is also known to have pressed his suit for Countess Greens. Duke Jennyn Waters, Master of the Riverman's Guild. * Considered one of the Drakes dukes by law, Jennyn's territory is rather small, containing only Landsdown and the Deep Downs, although the rivers and lakes are technically under his purview as well. Under Jennyn, the Guild has shown steady improvement in scheduling and efficiency, as well as growth in its financial contributions to the Crown. A small, bald man with a wooden leg, Jennyn has been called out on occasion for arrogance; he knows how good he is at what he does and feels no need to be humble. Despite being given precedence as a Duke, Jennyn has no counts under him, and his authority is limited to the Guild itself, although he does serve on Syan's small council; he has the Snowlander's respect; few know why, but many speculate. Few outside of the guild (and only the highest members within it) are aware that Jennyn is a devotee of Moon; the amount of information he has access to in the Quiet Lady's service is truly staggering. Barons: Several Barons own the vineyards directly, as well as several other production centers; Marius and Roland have five barons each, Alyssa and Geran have three each. Each of the Barons also have a number of lords and ladies beneath them. Stone Regency Regent Vedic Sembry, called The Longblade. * Recently installed as Stone Regent, Vedic is learning that running a regency is not at all like running a regiment, although to his credit, he does learn quickly. Many of the nobility of Stone were suspicious or skeptical of the young Eclipse officer, but the charming warrior has won most of them over, being eager to learn and receptive to advice, yet still standing his ground and not being easily led. An early assassination attempt led to the assassin being hung from Vedic's bedroom window by the bedsheet he had been strangled with for the city to see; since that incident, many attitudes of the nobility toward Vedic displayed a sudden and rather suspicious turn to the positive. Duchess Kimber Sembry, of the Eastern Gate. * The East Gate Pass is south of the Sweetwater, and falls under Kimber Sembry's jurisdiction. A cousin of Vedic, Kimber has been one of his staunchest supporters, and it's rumored she has considered him as a suitor. Kimber has been married twice and widowed both times, through no discernible fault of her own; her first husband was killed by a boar during a hunt, and her second fell to illness. Both marriages were childless, and Kimber is into her forties; while still a beautiful lady, Kimber is well aware that her time is limited, and growing shorter. Count Khyter Sendic, Master of the Gate. * Khyter mans and garrisons the fortress that controls East Gate Pass, and as such reports to Kimber Sembry. A wiry man with a hawk-like face and a wickedly short temper, Khyter has relished the closing of the Pass to the Ravensguild, and is diligent (some say obsessed) about hunting them down. He is suspicious of the Stormlanders, but has thus far not said why or indeed any more than that fact. Khyter finds Vedic frivolous, but cannot deny the young lord's abilities. Khyter regularly sends excruciatingly bad poetry to Kimber; she sends him wilted flowers in return, which he displays in a vase on his desk. Count Aurin Steelshod, Master of Beasts. * Aurin tends to the several livestock interests in the grasslands of northern Stone, often coordinating with Count Geran of southern Drakes. A Wild mage, Aurin's marks are subtle, and few realize the Devotee of Earth is a mage at all. Aurin's rapport with animals aids him in the management of livestock, though it is often said of him that he would prefer a position that allowed him to deal more directly with the beasts under his care. Duke Walton Lamplight of Stonekeep. * Walton manages the city that surrounds Stonekeep, and many of the smaller outlying villages as well. A chubby man with a distinctly froglike mien, Walton is a talented manager with either incredible good luck or amazing skill at finding men he can trust. While neither surpassing bright nor greatly imaginative himself, Walton builds off the successes of those beneath him, juggling credit in such a way that while he looks good, the men beneath him are still satisfied. Walton is reportedly terrified of Kimber Sembry, though there are no answers why this might be. Countess Aliara Whistler, Moon Quarter. * A lot of nasty things are said about Countess Whistler. She is a Devotee of Moon, and runs the Moon Quarter, the colloquial name for the are of the city containing pleasure houses, taverns, and gambling houses. Aliara is a watermage, and prone to change her hair color and style almost daily; she is also a devotee of Moon, although she does not serve her goddess in the way the whisperers like to believe. Unmarried (her last husband died in a duel defending her honor), she has one child; the boy is twelve and has shown no signs of being touched by the magic. Count Bensen Wright, Steel Quarter. * Steel Quarter houses the forges, smithies, and various metalworks of Stonekeep; as its watcher, Bensen is a very rich man. Bensen is mostly notable for being unnoticed; like the best of managers, he is nearly invisible aside from the weekly reports to Duke Walton. Rumor has it he has considered a suit to Duchess Kimber, but has not pressed it as he is of lower station. Count Maes Ricker, Common Quarter. * The Common Quarter is the sector of the city that contains residences and markets, as well as inns and such. Maes organizes the Labor Line, where unemployed individuals may go to find work for the day; where he finds the money to pay these men is anyone's guess, although the Common Quarter is by no means poor. Maes is a man of middling height and build, very calm and soft-spoken. Duke Carver Grayson, The Digger Duke. * Master of the mining, quarrying, and stonecarving industries within Stone Regency, Carver Grayson is an Earthmage himself, and a Devotee of Earth. While his appearance is still mostly human, his skin has a grayish, rocky cast to it, and his hair resembles very fine threads of silver wire. A patient, tolerant man, Grayson has coaxed the mining industry from an already massively profitable business to the worldwide powerhouse in its field. His ability to commune with the elementals in the area, as well as his strong concern for the safety of his men, has led to Kariman stonework being known as the finest work at surprisingly lower prices; Carver keeps overhead down by reducing accidents and thus not having to train new workers. No one is sure how old Carver is, but he has held his position for a good thirty years and shows no sign of slowing. His loss would be crippling to Stone Regency, but he has children by his lover, Countess Grace Aulor. Count Pounder: * Pounder is an oddity. Like some mages, he gave up his birth name for the unlikely moniker Pounder in his early adolescense. Under Carver, Pounder is master of the quarries. Pounder stands nine feet tall, is massive to boot, and has similar features to Carver, in his stone-like skin and metallic hair. Pounder is incredibly strong, but capable of exceedingly fine work, and his oversight of the quarries has resulted in both an increase of production and a decrease in fatal accidents. Pounder isn't the quickest on the uptake, but his methodical nature and careful planning makes adaptation largely unnecessary. Countess Grace Aulor. * Countess Grace organizes and runs the gem trade under Carver. She herself wears no jewelry at all, although her clothes are of exceptionally fine cut. Grace is Carver's mistress, although they have never married and likely never will; their relationship is nonetheless recognized and accepted by the nobility as common-law. Their eldest child is in line for Carver's position; their second child will inherit GRace's. Grace keeps things running smoothly, and is to all appearances close friends with Kimber Sembry. Count Cassus Blackhammer, The Iron Count. * Despite his title, Blackhammer runs virtually the entire metalworking trade out of Stone Regency, hand-in-hand with Count Bensen of the Iron Quarter. Whereas Bensen runs the processing of the metal, Cassus tends to its extraction and transport, as well as the business of selling off a portion of the raw ore. Cassus bears the Ravensguild brand on his left hand; he was one of the refugees rescued by Kethyr and Saeru during their mission into the Morass. As such, his loyalty to Saeru is unswerving, and he has also been a vocal supporter of Kethyr as Executor. Cassus is Devoted to Sun, and displays his pendant over anything else he might be required to wear; the chain is long enough that he can wear it over armor as well. Coastal Regency Regent Helmas Janns. * A sailor, soldier, and statesman of impeccable regard, Janns is a big man with a tendency to speak quietly, although when he gives voice, he is capable of being heard across shipyards. Although he considers himself a simple man, Janns is intelligent and thoughtful, more subtle than he appears, and has a name almost as good as Syan's for even-handedness. Indeed, the two get on quite well. Like all Coastal regents since the Unification, Janns did not inherit his station, but was elected to it by the admirals of the Kariman navy. Janns accepted this promotion with humility, and has served thus for over thirty years. Janns is elderly, though still hale; he has stated that when he can no longer sail, he will step down as Coastal regent. Duke Moran of Whiteharbor. * Bastard born, Moran has taken no family name or crest; the Orphan Duke runs the city of Whiteharbor like a well-oiled machine. Goods are shipped in and out with an efficiency and speed that leaves newcomers breathless, and the Rivermen have had to come up with new ways to battle the currents of the Saltwash and the Brightwater rivers in order to get the goods upriver fast enough so that the next shipment isn't treading on their heels. Very little happens in Whiteharbor that Moran or his two Counts don't find out about; it's rumored that Moran serves Moon, such is his seeming omniscience, but no one can prove this. For all this, he is very rarely seen in public; Moran is of slight stature, and sensitive to sunlight. Countess Mysenia, the Mistress of Trade. * Referred to (quietly) as the Dockside Doxy, Mysenia is a short, slight woman whose features and avarice make no mistake of her Sundowner heritage. As small as she is, Mysenia is a ferocious little woman, and it is she whom Duke Moran depends upon to keep the flow of goods going in and out of the harbor. It's said that she once was the lover of Martje, the corasthena of the Sundown Archipelago; it's often immediately said afterward that this, and not any fear of Kariman justice, was why the pirate never visits Whiteharbor. Mysenia's husband does not find these rumors amusing. Count Coras Marevar, Master of Justice. * The husband of Mysenia, Coras is not what many expect. Quiet and mild of manner, charming and urbane, Coras's ruthlessness is unparalleled, even in Karimas. While his wife runs the docks and businesses within the city, Coras is responsible for the keeping of the peace; there is a rumor that even the thieves work for him. If this is so, Coras is preternaturally gifted at covering his tracks. Many are fooled into thinking the man harmless due to his kind manner – until he tells them, as if describing the weather, the punishments he metes out to those who cross him. This has led even strong men to terror. Duke Ventarus Longshore, the Seamaster. * Master of the Kariman Navy, Ventarus began his days as a smuggler, until he was captured and conscripted. He fell in love with naval life, finding something in it he had not known he was looking for, and eventually worked his way up the ranks. A bold, hearty man in his early fifties, Duke Longshore is a pirate in all but title, and glad of it. Under his predecessor's hand, the Kariman Navy grew to a powerhouse; under Ventarus's, they are the masters of the sea and the terror of their foes. Despite his forthright manner, Ventarus has a startlingly devious mind and a wickedly sharp wit; he has captured Martje twice, although the Sundowner has escaped both times, and the two view it as a kind of game. There are no counts under Ventarus, merely the military ranks in the navy. Oaks Regency Regent Kevan the Whitelock. * Born the illegitimate son to the former Regent of Oaks, Owain Cartwright, Kevan was given into the care of the Brotherhood of the Warrior's Way. After earning their mark, Kevan immediately went home, raised an insurrection, and hacked his way through his bloodline, discovering Cartwright's treachery along the way and using it to excuse his regicide. Saeru gave him the throne of Oaks, and a promise – if the Regency prospered, he would be allowed to keep his seat; if it did not, he would be remanded to the justice of the people of Oaks. In five years, Oaks doubled its production of lumber and has seen the most remarkable improvement in virtually every area. The Whitelock is an imposing man, tall and rangy, a ferocious fighter in the two-handed style; he and Syan often spar against each other when they find themselves in each other's domain, and get along famously. Kevan is a good ruler, and his choices in replacing the indolent Dukes and greater nobles of Oaks who had conspired with Cartwright have proven themselves able, loyal, and more principled than their predecessors. Kevan has been censured by the Brotherhood for his actions, but Kevan hardly seems to care. Duke Ironroot. * The only nonhuman nobleman in Karimas, Ironroot is the greatest of the Ancient Guardians that protect the Living Grove. Ironroot stands twenty-five feet tall, a massive emissary of the forest, a roughly man-shaped tree crowned by a canopy of broad leaves and held up by legs large enough to crush a small house. Duke Ironroot rules the greater part of the forests of Oaks, and it is he who decrees what may be harvested and when, and also directs the replanting efforts. He can take a smaller form if he so desires, more human and less tree, but his hair is always green and his skin retains its barklike texture. Countess Willow. * An Earthmage, Countess Willow specializes in the tending of trees. While she owes her allegiance to Duchess Branwen, no one can doubt her equal devotion to Duke Ironroot, and she often serves as a messenger and go-between for them. Countess Willow also trains and leads the Oaks Rangers, who patrol the forests and keep the peace; since most of the Oaks populace lives in scattered dwellings within the forests, the Rangers also serve to bind the communities together. Count Devon Brightwater, Master of the Grove. * The Earthmage tender of the Living Grove, Devon's mastery of the healing arts is unsurpassed even before his magic is brought into consideration. A serene man with leaves growing in his hair and skin that bears a distinctly barkish look, Devon is kind and openhanded, and all who enter the Living Grove in peace may partake of its benefits and Devon's skills. Duchess Branwen Mills, Mistress of the Mills. * Branwen runs the mills, decides how lumber is allotted to each of the woodworking industries within Oaks, and also oversees the fruit orchards in the northern regions. A hardworking woman, Branwen is often criticized for pouring her wealth back into the industries she oversees – there is some merit to the idea that a noble must look noble. Branwen has none of it, however, and lives as modestly as she may, a fact that disturbs her Counts somewhat. Branwen took her surname after discarding her ties with House Cartwright, and may simply be acting on the distaste she had for that family's well-known indulgences. Count Simon Theremy, The Cordial Count. * His colloquial title does not refer to his demeanor; Simon Theremy directly controls most of the fruit orchards in Oaks. What fruit is not sold at market or shipped downriver is often pressed into cordials and brandies, proving mild competition in those markets with Drakes Regency. Fine liquors are Simon's strength, although he himself does not drink. Simon was the former Regent's sommelier before the purging of Oaks; he earned his position by proving a knowledge of the running of orchards. Simon wears a copper band around his wrist as a Devotee of Earth. Count Marcus Tallby, The Fisher Count. * While the greatest harbors might lie in Coastal, the richest fisheries are off the coast of Oaks, and it is Marcus Tallby who oversees that industry. Tallby was the one who discovered the depth of Cartwright's crime, finding the hidden cove where the Ravensguild had been landing to act in secret in Oaks. Uncomfortable with the mantle of leadership, but doing the best he can, Tallby benefits from wise advisors and helpful friends, as well as an inexplicable friendship with Martje the Sundowner. Tallby's greatest failings are his youth and inexperience, and as Count Theremy has been known to remark wryly, he'll get over those. Count Roark Longhaft, the Lumber Count. * Boisterous, brash, and brawny, Roark Longhaft is taking to his role of overseer to the lumbermen as if born to it. He is a figure they understand – stouthearted and rough-and-ready, as willing to grab an axe and jump in as he is to declaim his reports to the Duchess Branwen (whose hand he has repeatedly made offers for). He may not be the best politician, but no one can deny his numbers – lumber production, and speed of recovery for the forests they harvest from, has nearly doubled under his leadership. For all his bluster, Roark understands the woodlands, and works to keep them whole. Other Notable Individuals * Grandfather The Master of the Order of Sky is always referred to as Grandfather. This post is currently held by a humorous man in his late fifties, known chiefly for wearing a full-length cloak made entirely of chicken feathers. Without peer in his knowledge of the human heart and mind, Grandfather is gentle, caring, and wise, though possessed of an offbeat sense of humor and a penchant for teaching by the trickster's method. * The Grand Justicar The Master of Sun holds this title. The Justicar has not been seen for some time, and it is believed he may have fallen ill or is in the process of being replaced; at last knowledge, the post was held by a powerfully built man with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The Justicar's duties are to lead Sun; the Order of Sun serves primarily to investigate matters the Crown may call upon them for, to support and provide backup to the Order of the Eclipse, and to serve as a vanguard should military action be required. * Grandmother The Master of the Order of Earth is always referred to as Grandmother, and is almost always female. The current Grandmother is a tall, strongly-built woman, a former rancher's daughter from northern Stone regency. Fearless and toughminded, she is known for her drive to innovate irrigation methods for southern Stone and ways to increase fruit and orchard productions in Oaks and Drakes in order to help alleviate the trade dependency. * No one knows who the leader of Moon is, or her title. * The Sundowner Martje Sundown, of the Sundown Archipelago. Martje is the corasthena of the Sundown Archipelago, a title that roughly translates to “brightest star”. The Archipelago is a plutocracy, and Martje is the richest man in it, although he spends most of his time pirating the seas off the Kariman coast. A recent agreement with Helmas Janns has his forces in uneasy alliance with the Kariman navy, serving to ensure their goods get through whatever blockades might exist and harrying the Ravensguild ships whenever they are found. Martje is a Sealord, an extraordinarily powerful water-mage. He is an olive-skinned man of slight build with curly black hair and deep eyes that continually shift in color; his left hand is always covered by a glove constructed of tiny metal plates. * The Emperor of the East, Yaz Kai. Barely out of childhood, the young Emperor of the lands east of the Stormlands had a rocky start of it, but managed to regain his throne and reunify at least part of the Shattered Lands that had once been under it. Known for his wry wit and his love for scholarly pursuits, Yaz Kai formed a fast friendship with Kethyr Vaurus (who shares these traits), and the two remain in correspondence. Allied with Ailenne and Saeru, Yaz Kai's repulsion of Ravensguild from the Empire means that the Guild no longer has footing anywhere on the continent the three nations sit on, and this is a grievous blow to the slavers. He is young, but he is also devious, ruthless, and where his country is concerned, willing to do whatever it may require to keep his throne safe. * Captain of the Silt Striders Captain K'thyss. The leader of one war-clan of the Ophidians, K'Thyss has worked tirelessly to unify the snake-folk in order to properly take advantage of the alliance with Karimas. While currently they trade their goods, including the famed waterproof all-weather cloaks, K'thyss would like to have a more active hand in the development of relations between the species, and would also like to see his people prosper and advance. To this end, he has formed strong ties with the Rivermen. K'thyss's efforts are hindered by the clannish nature of his kind and their divisions into wandering war-clans throughout the Morass, but he has made some progress in convincing the others to hear him. * The Snow King Arhaud Longstep. The leader of the Longstep clan, the largest clan among the Norther Tribes, Arhaud is a giant of a man, red-maned and bearded, seven feet tall and mighty both of mind and body. A frequent visitor to Landsdown, Arhaud has formally allied himself and his clan with Kariman interests through the Rivermen, and the clan trades heavy furs and other goods for Kariman wines, fruits, and such. Arhaud is a thoughtful man, not much given to speech, and many make the mistake of thinking him dull of wit until he opens his mouth and proves otherwise. Arhaud is Syan Snowlander's cousin, though the two generally avoid each other, as Syan's albinsim is disconcerting to Arhaud; Northers tend to expose deformed or sickly children to the elements.